Tips for Planning Your Vegetable Garden

If you’re looking to eat more vegetables in 2016, have we got the blog post for you! Thanks to “The Farmer’s Almanac,” we’ve brought you a short and sweet guide for the beginner vegetable gardener.

Start Small
If you thought you needed space to start a garden, well, you’re kind of right. But one of the most common errors for beginners is planting too much too soon, so experts across the board recommend a small garden plot to start. So whether you’ve got a spacious backyard or live in a fifth-story apartment, you’ve got enough space to start growing vegetables.

The Basics

• -Sun Exposure: Vegetables need at least 6 hours (preferably 8) of full sun every day, so make sure to pick a sunny spot for your plot. 
• -Soil: Your soil is your plant’s source of nutrients, so make sure you know what you need before you plant. Vegetables need good, loamy, well-drained soil. Check out this post on preparing your soil for more info. 
• -Placement: It’s everything. Avoid planting too close to trees, and keep in mind that a garden close to the house will help discourage wild animals from chowing down on your veggies. The Gardener’s Supply Company has this neat little garden design planner to help you create blueprints for your most productive garden. 
• -Water: Vegetables need at least 1 inch of water a week. If you’re in a dry area, make sure you’re able to accommodate this. 
• -Tools: You’ll need to make sure you have some basic planting tools in your undertaking. These include a spade, garden fork, soaking hose, hoe, hand weeder, and wheelbarrow (or bucket). 
• -Frost Dates: Find out the dates for the first and last frost dates in your area here.

Veggies to Start With
Here are some of the most common, productive plants you may want to consider growing:
     -Tomatoes          -Zucchini squash          -Peppers

     -Cabbage            -Bush beans                  -Lettuce (leaf and/or Bibb)
     -Beets                  -Carrots                         -Chard
     -Radishes            -Marigolds (to discourage rabbits)
When to Plant
When to start planting all depends on where you are regionally and whether you’re planting seeds or transplanting plants from a nursery or greenhouse:

• -Best Planting Dates for Seeds Chart
• -Best Planting Dates for Transplants Chart

While it may not be time to start planting just yet, the time to start planning is here. So be on the lookout for more gardening and vegetable tips from communEATi here, on our Facebook, and on Twitter.